From This Episode:

Eating at someone else’s house (again, you can’t control how much they use!)

Hidden sodium in places you don’t suspect

Here are some places where sodium sits in larger quantities than you expect:

Breads

Cottage cheese

Nut butters

Packaged cheeses

Low-calorie products like salad dressing

Condiments

Alcohol

Cereals

Diet soda

And even the low-sodium variants of foods (e.g. low-sodium soy sauce) can add up quick. These hidden sources, though they may not have as much sodium as other foods–can add up over the course of a day and leave us feeling bloated.

Step 2: Eat a Potassium-and-Probiotics Combo

This is an easy and rather yummy fix! Potassium serves to regulate fluid balance in our bodies, and more potassium can help ensure that more sodium gets excreted from the body via urination. Potassium-rich foods such as bananas, cantaloupe and mangoes make for wonderful breakfasts and snacks. Pair that with probiotic-rich foods such as Greek yogurt or kefir. Probiotics keep the digestive system moving and help manage the sense of bloat. Bonus: These probiotic-rich foods often contain calcium, which is also essential to overall good health.

Step 3: Bring in the Natural Diuretics

This is another great habit, as natural diuretics encourage urine production and can serve to offset the hidden sodium (and beat the bloat). There are lots of ways to do this all day:

Asparagus in your breakfast omelet

Beets in your lunchtime salad

Pineapple with your steak at dinner (it’s a great natural meat tenderizer too)

Watermelon, grapes and green beans for snacks

Step 4: Watch Those Weekend Carbs

Weekends can wreak havoc on healthy lifestyles. We may have wonderful routines during the week because we have schedules, but on the weekend all bets are off–parties, friends, movies and long, late breakfasts often mean that simple carbs (e.g. cookies, chips, snack foods, many foods consumed dining out, desserts) come into our lives more on the weekends. Remember that carbs promote water retention and if we consume more on the weekends, then bloat is likely to follow. More mindfulness is often a great tool on the weekends, so slow down and wait a beat before you grab those cookies. Make sure you keep healthy snacks within easy reach to avoid the weekend backslide into bloat.

Remember, making one small change at a time makes a difference over time. Master that change and then add a new one. This way, big changes come from small steps.